Procurement Specialist - Corporate Travel (Hybrid)

Company Description

At Lakeshore, we create innovative learning materials and world-class guest experiences for teachers, parents and children. Since 1954, we’ve grown into a global community—with a thriving e-commerce business, multiple catalogs, over 50 stores, a peerless national sales force, plus international offices that support our preeminent supply chain division. But today we’re working better, smarter and faster than ever—and setting our sights even higher. We’re building an infrastructure designed for scalability, embracing data-driven decision-making and using technology to improve efficiency and ensure the best tools for the best work. Most importantly, we continue to invest in a diverse team of inquisitive top talent who fuel each other’s passions and curiosity, take risks, try new things and believe that every new day brings opportunities for growth.

Job Description

At Lakeshore, we create products that spark curiosity and help children learn — and getting our people where they need to be is part of making that happen. As a Procurement Specialist focused on corporate travel, you'll own the end-to-end travel experience for our organization: keeping costs in check, travelers supported, and our program running smoothly. You'll manage a multi-million-dollar travel spend, deepen vendor partnerships, and make sure every trip — from booking to expense reconciliation — reflects the care and efficiency Lakeshore is known for.

A day on the job looks like this:

• Manage day-to-day travel operations including bookings, changes, cancellations, and unused ticket tracking, ensuring travelers get the most cost-effective, policy-compliant options.
• Administer and troubleshoot our Concur platform — handling new-user setup, system issues, and training new team members so everyone can book with confidence.
• Own key vendor relationships (Travelstore, National/Enterprise, Southwest for Business, Uber) and support contract renewals, negotiations, and compliance reviews.
• Track and reconcile travel spend, process monthly Visa card expenses and direct-bill accounts, and produce monthly and quarterly reports that give leadership a clear picture of program health.
• Monitor airline credits, Visa claims, and toll charges to make sure nothing falls through the cracks and savings opportunities are captured proactively.
• Update and communicate travel policy changes across the organization, serving as the go-to resource for employees who have questions about how to travel compliantly.
• Support vendor identification and logistics for large-scale corporate events, partnering with internal stakeholders to keep planning on track.

Qualifications

What you bring:

Required:

• 2–3+ years of experience in corporate travel management, travel operations, or a related procurement or operations role.
• Hands-on experience with a corporate travel or expense platform — Concur experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities independently, from routine bookings to vendor escalations, without close supervision.
• Strong attention to detail in financial reconciliation, reporting, and contract or credit tracking.
• Clear, professional communicator who can explain travel policies and processes to employees at all levels.
• Able to work onsite at our Carson, CA headquarters on a hybrid schedule.

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Hospitality, or a related field.
• Experience with SAP or similar ERP systems.
• Background in travel agency operations or GDS platforms, with working knowledge of airline rules, fare classes, and ticketing.
• Exposure to category management or vendor RFP processes.

What sets you apart:

• You notice the airline credit about to expire before anyone asks — proactive by default, not by reminder.
• You can shift from reconciling a Visa statement to calming down a stranded traveler to prepping a leadership report, without losing the thread on any of them.
• You build trust with vendors and internal partners alike by following through consistently and communicating clearly, even when the answer is 'not yet.'

Additional Information

And here’s our end of the bargain!

At Lakeshore, we pay local market wages for employees that reside within Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

For this position, new employees joining Lakeshore who live within Los Angeles and Orange Counties are typically brought into the organization at an hourly rate between $30-$39/hr depending on relevant experience & skillset.

This range is indicative of projected hiring range. The annual base compensation will take into account each candidate's relevant experience, location, and skillset.

• Bonus eligible
• Paid leave for new parents to support work/life balance and family bonding
• Excellent medical/dental and vision coverage — EPO, PPO and HSA
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution (because you will retire someday)
• Flexible benefits — choose what you like, ignore the rest
• On-site preschool for our employees' children
• On-site employee gym for all levels/fitness needs
• Generous employee discount
• Casual dress…and we really mean it

At Lakeshore, we know our diversity makes us stronger, and when everyone feels included and valued, we all win. We strive to embrace our differences and create an intentionally diverse and inclusive community that is representative of the teachers, families and children we serve.

We know we couldn't do the extraordinary things we're doing without the people on our team. Thanks to the passion and enthusiasm of this spectacular group, Lakeshore is more than a great place to work—it's a great experience to be part of. Day in and day out, we give everything we've got to create products that instill a sense of wonder and foster a true love of learning. To help maintain this high bar for success, we're constantly on the lookout for people to join us. So if you're a down-to-earth professional who shares our desire for making a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

To learn more about Lakeshore, visit www.lakeshorelearning.com/careers

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy 
People are selected to become members of the Lakeshore family based on skill, merit and mind-boggling talent—not based on race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, marital status, domestic partnership status, military status, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, alienage, AIDS or AIDS-related complex status, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence, physical or mental disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If things aren’t equal, we all lose. 

To learn about how we collect and use Applicant information, please visit our Employee/Applicant Privacy Policy. 

Lakeshore is an E-Verify employer. We use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. 

Please see the E-Verify Participation Poster and Know Your Rights Poster in English and Spanish for more information. INDRLL1